


Never Trust Those Who Insult the Majesty of Coffee

by MirtaF



Category: EXO (Band), K-pop
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Coffee, Coffee Shops, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-30
Updated: 2014-11-30
Packaged: 2018-02-27 11:46:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2691776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MirtaF/pseuds/MirtaF
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Minseok is a barista and there is nothing else more interesting than coffee for him. That is, until Jongdae comes to his café for a double date and brings a friend with him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Never Trust Those Who Insult the Majesty of Coffee

It was a morning like any other for Kim Minseok. He has been living under the very same routine for a few years now, not that he complained. No - he enjoyed the monotonous flow of his days and the so repetitive nature of it. Each day he would wake up at four o'clock to leave half an hour later for his usual suppliers (he owned a small café and, although it may have not been the most luxurious one out there, Minseok would strive anyway for the quality of his products to be of the highest level). At half past five he would already be at the café getting everything ready for the the seven o'clock opening.

Most of the cakes, desserts, lunch sets and other confectionery were being prepared in the evening by Shin (Minseok's best friend who just happened to work at his café as a pastry cook). Still, some of them he would prefer to make in the morning. Minseok was not much of a cook himself but his coffee-flavoured jelly with chocolate whipped cream was one of the most popular among the customers.

Even so, it was still coffee that made the little café known among the citizens of Hongdae. Minseok's coffee was simple yet rich with all kinds of aromas, it was strong and energizing but mild and tender in taste, it was invigorating and lulling at the same time. Minseok's coffee was different for everybody as he always prepared it according to his customers' personal likes. Maybe it was this attitude of Minseok towards coffee, or maybe it was his passion but, whichever it was, it made him one of the best baristas in Seoul. Despite his young age, many came to the courses for coffee enthusiasts when Minseok would rarely agree to conduct them at the Barista Association of Korea. He didn't like it when ten or more pairs of eyes were fixed on his every little movement and when just as many ears listened to each of his few words of the commentary to the techniques of brewing coffee. Shin always said Minseok should finally get a hold of himself and abandon this ridiculous self-consciousness. And Minseok tried, he tried his best but, even after a dozen of classes and guest-lectures on a few universities, he was still more comfortable in his little café hidden behind the coffee machine.

And that is precisely were he was right now, at ten to seven on a cold Tuesday morning.

Minseok was sipping his own morning coffee (black, with a pinch of cardamom and a droplet of licorice syrup) getting a few orders for his regulars ready. There were seven people stopping by everyday (including Saturdays and Sundays) to get their morning energy boost. One of them was another friend of Minseok's - Kim Jongdae. He was a busy man, working as a writer in one of the broadcasting companies. They have known each other since primary school and have graduated the same middle school, high school and even university. Yes, Minseok also holds a Bachelor in creative writing and television production.

His alarm clock went off. It was seven o'clock and the door flew open. Jongdae.

"Hi," he said sitting at the counter. He grabbed the gigantic mug that Minseok placed in front of him and for a moment he just smelled it, "Coconut? Yes, coconut and... mango"?

"It's persimmon".

"Oh, persimmon," he took another sip, "it goes well together". Minseok smiled at him. Jongdae would always be the first person to try the new menu items, because it was that kind of friendship in which neither would hold back in offering criticism or mock the other.

"Minseok-hyung, I will be coming this evening, can you save me a nice table for four? And, do you still serve these lemon tartlets with coffee pudding? Great, we will be having some," and on that statement Minseok has raised his eyes to look onto Jongdae.

"We? And who is 'we' exactly? Are you bringing your girlfriend, young man"? Jongdae broke into laughter, "A potential girlfriend, yes. With a friend". Minseok pouted, how could this be a date when there will be a chaperon with them?

"And I am bringing a friend so don't trouble your adorable little head worrying about my incompetence and inability to find myself a girl naïve enough to be willing to give birth to the little devils my children would surely be".

"So it's a double date? Who is the friend"?

"We work together. He's a funny guy but really awkward too," he looked at Minseok, visibly amused, "a little bit like you".

They chatted for a while longer and then Jongdae ordered another coffee for take-away and went to work. Meanwhile, other regular customers came for their usual beverages. Just before eight o'clock it became busy, it always did. That's when the third person working at the café would come - Byun Baekhyun. He was a student at the nearby Hongik University, majoring in internal architecture. He was a curious person, this Byun Baekhyun. Any sane employer would fire this guy immediately for being unpleasant towards customers and talking back to his boss (meaning Minseok). It might be the case that Minseok wasn't exactly the most sane person but he had been putting up with Baekhyun for three years now and he slowly grew fond of him. Underneath this rude façade, he was a good guy and a good friend. And he was Minseok's best (and only) student with talent for brewing coffee. Not that Baekhyun didn't like internal architecture, but after graduation he planned to continue working at Minseok's café.

The day unfolded lazily with just one broken cup and two changes of an apron. About three pm, after the lunch time, there were less customers and so Minseok could make the tartlets for Jongdae's date.

"Didn't you say we are not selling those anymore? Honestly, hyung, this wasn't your best invention".

Minseok just smiled at Baekhyun and mumbled something about a friend coming over with his date.

"Jongdae? Wow, he must hate the girl to especially order these for her to eat... What? It really tastes disgusting for normal people". As mentioned before, Minseok might not have been the most sane person, and so might have been Jongdae.

***

They came at five o'clock. Jongdae's date was a rather plain girl. She was about his height, with short messy hair and small eyes. She was wearing black jeans and a colourful sweater, which looked nice next to Jongdae's black pants and black sweatshirt. Something about the two seemed right and fitting, with their laughters filling in the quietness of Minseok's cafe. The other girl looked quite different. Her hair was smooth and long, with bangs and her skin was very pale. She was petite and dressed in a lace mint one-piece. Minseok thought she looked like one of the dolls that his sister used to collect.

He expected Jongdae's friend to be serious-looking, since Jongdae said the guy was the leader of their crew (of, roughly, forty people). Yet, the petite girl was followed into the café by a man barely taller than Jongdae, slim and pale. He had plain jeans on and a black over-sized sweater, which was of the same colour as his hair. He had big, glittering eyes and a blank expression on his face. Damn, he was pretty. And a man should not be pretty. Even so, in that particular moment Minseok couldn't think of anybody else who would be that pretty. 

The man probably felt he was being stared at, because he turned right in Minseok's direction. Their gazes crossed.

He was not pretty anymore. His appearance was the same but, all of a sudden, he seemed like a real man. Minseok glanced at Jongdae who, right now, looked pitiful in comparison to his friend. If Minseok was his date, he would ditch Jongdae and choose the other guy instead.

They sat down at the table in a corner. Jongdae looked very much in love, looking only at the girl and listening to her every word. Quite the opposite of his friend. He didn't speak at all, it was only the girl that talked and, apparently, the guy was not interested, as he was looking around or staring at his own hands all the time. Why did this guy even agreed to go on this date? Minseok really wanted to know that.

Soon, Baekhyun came with their order, much displeased.

"They really do want to eat those tartlets and she (he motioned at the petite companion of Jongdae's date) wants it with vanilla pudding, not coffee. Do we even have vanilla pudding"?

They did. They had vanilla pudding and the grain coffee this weird girl wanted to drink. Minseok, nevertheless, was far more intrigued something different, "who ordered this"?

It said: whatever the barista thinks is suitable for such a nice date.

"Little prince, another weirdo. Doesn't he look like a girl"? Minseok shook his head. No, he didn't. The Little Prince looked a lot like a man.

A caramel macchiato for Jongdae, a vanilla latte for his date, grain coffee with soy milk for the other girl and a special mix for the Little Prince. And lemon tartlets for everybody.

Minseok observed as all of them got their drinks and dig into the tartlets. They seemed to enjoy them.

What he really wanted to see, though, was the reaction of the Little Prince to the special mix he had prepared for him. But the guy wasn't drinking his coffee. After some twenty minutes Minseok lost all hope and went to the back of the café.

He sat on the floor and found himself some cookies to munch on. Why was he so disappointed not being able to see this guy try his coffee? Countless people tried his special mixes each day but he has never anticipated somebody's reaction that much. Not even Jongdae's. Anyway, the guy would be better off drinking his coffee than sitting there pointlessly with the girl that drank grain coffee.

"Minseok-hyung! Here you are! What have you put into Luhan's coffee"?

So his name was Luhan. Lu-han. Luh-an. Luuuu-han.

"Nothing special, why"?

"As soon as he tried it he went straight to the bathroom and hasn't come out since. Maybe he's allergic to something"?

Minseok smirked while standing up, so Jongdae wouldn't be able to see it.

"I will take care of it and you, you go back to your girl. She likes you".

Seeing Jongdae's smile appear made Minseok weirdly light-hearted. His friend was doing fine, now he could go and check on the Little Prince.

He knocked on the door of the bathroom. Nothing. He tried again but there was no answer, "hi, I am the owner and I brewed your coffee, are you alrgiht"? The door flew open, "Come inside and close it". Minseok did as told. He sat on the floor next to the Little Prince. No, wait. He sat on the floor next to Luhan - he knew his name now.

Minseok looked at him. He must have vomited cause there was a stain at his sweater, "are you alright"? Once again Luhan didn't answer, he just rested his head on Minseok's shoulder. An electrifying sensation ran down Minseok's spine. Having somebody's head on his shoulder seemed right and appropriate. No, having Luhan's head on his shoulder seemed right and appropriate. They sat like that for a while, listening only to their breathing.

"Why did you put fucking wasabi into my coffee, are you insane"? Luhan finally spoke and his voice sounded tired, hoarse.

"You didn't like it," was more of a statement by Minseok than a question to Luhan, "I thought you would".

Luhan laughed. Minseok thought he heard him mumble _who the hell would enjoy coffee with wasabi_. He spread his hand, "I'm Luhan". The ither took it, "Minseok".

"She drank grain coffee," it took Minseok a while to realise who was Luhan talking about, "she drank grain coffee in Kim Minseok's  café. That's just insane".  


He knew his name before. He knew who Minseok was.

"Don't look at me like that. I'm a coffee freak, of course I know you," he moved a little bit closer to Miseok, "Jongdae always brings me coffee from your shop in the morning".

Oh, so the take-away was for Luhan.

"Some people don't like coffee, I guess. Is it bad that she drank grain coffee"?

Luhan rose abruptly and looked Minseok in the eyes.

"You've got to be kidding me. You are a barista and you don't see it as an insult? Grain coffee! That's not even coffee," he put his head back to where it has been before, "I don't trust people who don't drink coffee. And you shouldn't either".

Minseok nodded.

"So, why did you put wasabi into my coffee"?

"You wanted something appropriate for your date. You didn't enjoy it so I guess I got your coffee right," he smiled, "besides, I got you out of there, shouldn't you be thankful"? 

 


End file.
